The United Auto Workers Local 2865 (UAW) election committee voted to continue counting ballots from the union’s election after counting was halted Saturday.
The elections committee stopped counting the ballots due to challenges that came from both sides of the election, the United for Social and Economic Justice (USEJ), the incumbent group in UAW, and Academic Workers for a Democratic Union (AWDU), the reform group within the union.
“Moving forward to a full vote count requires that the challenges from both sides that block counting of ballots be either dealt with by the elections committee or withdrawn,” said “Moving forward to a full vote count requires that the challenges from both sides that block counting of ballots be either dealt with by the elections committee or withdrawn,” said Daraka Larimore-Hall, UAW president and USEJ member, in a statement issued by USEJ.
The elections committee has dealt with these challenges, and the ballots will be counted by two groups of five people and no supporters from either side will be allowed in the room. “We believe that this process will be effective at ensuring a civil, respectful ballot counting environment and help get the results to you, the membership, as soon as possible,” said Travis Knowles, chair of the UAW election committee, in an open letter to all UAW members.
Larimore-Hall said that hostility from AWDU Saturday also contributed to the halting of the count, and he hoped this could be avoided as the ballot counting is resumed.
“We believe that this process will be effective at ensuring a civil, respectful ballot counting environment and help get the results to you, the membership, as soon as possible,” said Travis Knowles, chair of the UAW election committee, in an open letter to all UAW members.
Phillipe Marchand, AWDU member and UAW election committee member, said that there was only hostility and commotion after USEJ members decided to stop counting the ballots.
AWDU members were angry that the vote count was halted, and Berkeley AWDU members took part in a peaceful sit-in Tuesday to protest.
– Hannah Strumwasser
